A new survey of 238 primary care professionals by Humberside LMC reports ‘distressing’ findings about racism towards GPs.
The survey, designed, run and reported by GPs in Humberside, found that staff in general practice often experienced or witnessed racism from patients, including patients rejecting care from Black or Asian GPs, or GPs from another ethnic minority, in favour of care from a white GP.
Roughly one in six BAME respondents said that racism or discrimination had affected their career choice, and one in five said it had affected their training and development.
One in five also reported that they had faced complaints from patients that were directly related to their ethnicity, culture and racism or discrimination.
The survey is the first of its kind in the North East.
Dr Richard Fieldhouse, NASGP chair, said: “This is an outstanding piece of work by Dr Zoe Norris and her colleagues at Humberside LMCs, and should be essential reading for all involved at any leadership level within primary care. It is a gut-wrenching report, and I was particularly sad to read about the experience of racism from the respondents’ own colleagues. This should never have happened.
“We fully support the report’s intentions to support the formation of the proposed Primary Care Against Racism network. Going forward we would also like to see NHS-funded quantitative research on racism and how this has had a measurable impact on income, employment status and contractual opportunities for those who have worked as GP locums.”
